stretch marks

[Dr. Kazu88]

Originally Posted by lilherb

Thx for all the info guys. thx dr. =)
i guess all this news was what i expected, i was hoping for some super cream. thx

Just to end this topic for real...

There is no oil -- no cream -- no pill to get rid of pre-existing stretch marks. If there was such a thing, your dermatologists and plastic surgeons would be all over it.

If anybody on ebay or store is trying to sell you a super cream claiming it will, they are con artists. Don't buy it.

Stretch marks are over-stretched skin layer (more specifically the dermis layer, underneath the epidermis) that broke open and became "scar lines." It will never go back to "regular" skin again.

Whenever you violate the dermis layer, it'll create a scar. That's why we are careful to stay within the (superficial) epidermis layer of skin when we are shaving off skin tags, warts, callouses etc.

[da_cat]

I'm not so sure they won't ever disappear. I've had scars that have eventually completely vanished i.e there's no sign they were ever there no matter how close you look or under what shade of light.

[aikurushii]

Originally Posted by da_cat

I'm not so sure they won't ever disappear. I've had scars that have eventually completely vanished i.e there's no sign they were ever there no matter how close you look or under what shade of light.

that's scars though not stretch marks

[Dr. Kazu88]

Originally Posted by da_cat

I'm not so sure they won't ever disappear. I've had scars that have eventually completely vanished i.e there's no sign they were ever there no matter how close you look or under what shade of light.

The appearnce of scar depends on many factors; patient's age, skin type, surgeon's technique, suture type etc. I try to use subcuticular suture technique whenever I can to minimize scar width... while some of my colleagues use staples. If we do a good job, the surgical scars will fade away in appearance...but histologically, the scar won't ever go away.

Some of my patients are keloid-formers, meaning they develop ugly, hypertrophic scars whatever we do.

Another thing you have to remember is, stretch marks are very different from surgical incisions in etiology as well as histologically.

Do you guys want to make this a stickey? I don't think there's much more for me to say about the darn subject.

[da_cat]

So in some cases it IS possible for scarring to disappear depending on the person and the nature of the scar tissue?

Well scratch the possible part, I've seen 'em vanish on me like I said, albeit only light scarring.

[Dr. Kazu88]

Originally Posted by da_cat

So in some cases it IS possible for scarring to disappear depending on the person and the nature of the scar tissue?.

Yes, especially your surgeon is nice to you. Some people use staples to close the incision so they can get the heck out of there in a hurry.

[da_cat]

Ohh ... I'm talking about light scars left from small cuts & scratches not scars from surgery lol! Yeah, I guess those would diminish a lot less readily ...

BTW - What does the term '' historically '' mean when talking about the skin?

[Massive D]

Originally Posted by Dr. Kazu88

The appearnce of scar depends on many factors; patient's age, skin type, surgeon's technique, suture type etc. I try to use subcuticular suture technique whenever I can to minimize scar width... while some of my colleagues use staples. If we do a good job, the surgical scars will fade away in appearance...but histologically, the scar won't ever go away.

Some of my patients are keloid-formers, meaning they develop ugly, hypertrophic scars whatever we do.

Another thing you have to remember is, stretch marks are very different from surgical incisions in etiology as well as histologically.

Do you guys want to make this a stickey? I don't think there's much more for me to say about the darn subject.

I agree with the doc, but you can take vitimen e CAPSULES and take a pin and prick the capsule open and rub thjat on your stretch marks... worked good for me ... works good on acne too!

[Dr. Kazu88]

Originally Posted by da_cat

Ohh ... I'm talking about light scars left from small cuts & scratches not scars from surgery lol! Yeah, I guess those would diminish a lot less readily ...

BTW - What does the term '' historically '' mean when talking about the skin?

Histologically = under the microscope.

[Dr. Kazu88]

Originally Posted by Swole

agree with the doc, but you can take vitimen e CAPSULES and take a pin and prick the capsule open and rub thjat on your stretch marks... worked good for me ... works good on acne too!

Meh... whatever works for you.

You should know Vitamin E is also one of very strong contact allergens; if you keep doing it, you'll break out terribly sometime.

[Denix]

You really answered a ton of my questions about stretch marks and I appreciate ya Kazu.

Kazu 4 Life!!

[Dr. Kazu88]

Originally Posted by Denix

You really answered a ton of my questions about stretch marks and I appreciate ya Kazu.

Kazu 4 Life!!

You are most welcome. Jim, do you want to make this a stickey, so that I don't have to repeat myself again and again?

[Massive D]

We should have an ask the doctor thread or sticky...

[Dr. Kazu88]

Originally Posted by Dr. Kazu88

You should know Vitamin E is also one of very strong contact allergens; if you keep doing it, you'll break out terribly sometime.

Let me explain this a little bit. Some topical products sold in the drugstores are strong contct allergen; meaning if you keep using it daily, it'll cause serious skin reactions. This is caused by your immune system identifying these topical products as "foreign enermy" and attacking with full force.

I'm sure you know poison ivy and oaks, sumacs can do this and cause break outs in most people.

There are more; Neosporin or topical triple antibiotics (one of the "triple" componet is neomycin, "polysporin" without it is safe), topical benadryl or topical lidocaine (Lanacaine), Vitamin E or A, Balsam of peru etc.

Especially, neosporin is terrible. It really should be taken off the market; just ask any dermatologist and they'll agree with me.

[Dr. Kazu88]

Originally Posted by Swole

We should have an ask the doctor thread or sticky...

Cool, my own sticky, eh?

[da_cat]

Originally Posted by Dr. Kazu88

Histologically = under the microscope.

Oh ... histologically not historically ... misread! I see now though, cheers mate.

[joe7810]

Why should neosporin be taken off the market? It always seemed to help me heal faster when I got cut.

[Dr. Kazu88]

Originally Posted by joe7810

Why should neosporin be taken off the market? It always seemed to help me heal faster when I got cut.

Did you read my posts?

Neosporin is a topical triple antibiotics; neomycin, polymixin B and bacitracin. Neomycin is a nasty antibiotics, a very strong contact allergen. Estimated 40% of people will get sensitized to it in their lifetime, and can break out like when you touch poison ivy.

Polysporin (Polymixin B and bacitracin) is perfectly safe, and I recommend it.

Ask any dermatologists and they would agree with me.

[thanatopsis]

Yah... I got alot of stretch marks. 90% of mine are from when I first started lifting and I went from very overweight to quite strong in almost no time -- also lost 40 lbs in 4 months once I finally got around to changing my diet after around 2 years of lifting. I have the worst ones around my outer chest, actually closer to my front delts -- presumably since my favorite machine is and always has been the pec deck. Today I noticed some around my lats too, pretty extensive at that. They are all skin colored and don't show up alot unless I move my body in such a way that my skin gets tighter. The only ones that are discolored at all are the ones I mentioned first around my chest... I don't think those will fade for a while, I work out at over 2x my body weight on the pec deck though and I keep going up.

Word of advice... if you are like me and start out pretty fat (220 lbs for me at 16 years old at under 5'10" tall), definatly follow all the tips about moisturizing... I had no idea about that stuff. I may start doing it now to avoid getting any more.

[Skippy]

Jacob, I hear that!

I only have 1 stretch mark, but it's on the front of my delt above my armpit only on my left side. It's gross and dark colored, but only visible when I extend my arm laterally. I am definitely going to moisturize from now on to prevent another one from forming